Internal combustion engine



Dec. 5, 1933. H. c. EDWARDS 8 INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed July 21, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JEERBERTZI EDNHRUE.

9% 1933- H. c. EDWARDS 38,283

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed July 21. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7.5 43 3M wnfo'a 1322x5552" L." 1327x5525 l atenlecl Dec. 5, 1933 UNITED STATES INTERNAL COIVIBUSTION ENGINE Herbert 0. Edwards, D

etroit, Mich., assignor to Packard Motor Car Company, Detroit, Mich., a

corporation of Michig Application July 21, 1

23 Claims.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines and more particularly to engines of the compression-ignition type in which fuel, is injected into the combustion chambers through mechanism actuated by a moving engine part.

The invention has to do more particularly with the starting of engines in which fuel is injected into compressed air charges at a pressure developed in accordance with the engine speed. With this type of engine, the degree of fuel atomization and the pressure at which the fuel is injected becomes less as the speed of the engine is reduced, the fuel is not injected into the compressed air in the combustion chambers at a pressure or in an atomized condition conducive to easy starting when the crank shaft is being turned slowly by a source of external power.

An object of the invention is to regulate the timing, the pressure and the atomization of liquid fuel injected into compressed air in the cylinders of a compression-ignition engine in a manner to promote combustion by compression when the engine is being started.

Anotherobject of my invention is to provide an internal combustion engine of the compressionignition type in which the timing of the fuel injecticn is automatically retarded, and the normal pressure produced against the fuel to be injected is increased beyond that which would be developed by the normal actuating mechanism when cranking the engine.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic control if or regulating the actuation of the fuel injection devices of a compressionignition engine so that during starting, fuel charges will be injected into the combustion spaces when the compressed air charges are at substantially their highest compression and under a pressure such that sufficient penetration 40 occurs to quickly cause a thorough intermingling of the fuel mixture.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an automatic control which can be actuated during the starting of an engine of the compression-ignition type to bring into effective relation a faster moving fuel pump actuating cam mechanism and at a later time in the compression stroke of the engine operation than the time of the injection under operating conditions These and other objects of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a rear elevational view of a radial'engine, partially broken away and partially in sec- 930. Serial No. 469,475

tion to show a fuel injecting device and the actuating mechanism;

Fig. 2 is an elevaticnal view showing the fuel injection mechanism cams with the faster cam in effective position, the cam having made one more revolution than shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the engine taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the fuel injection mechanism associated with an engine cylinder.

Referring now to the drawings by characters of reference, lorepresents generally the crank case of a compression-ignition type of internal combustion engine from which nine air-cooled cylinders 11 extend radially, the cylinders being secured under compression around the wall of the crank case by rings, one of which is indicated at 12. The cylinders are formed with an integral dome 13 and secured upon each of the domes is a head 14. Each of the associated heads and domes is formed with a single Venturi passage 15 leading into the interior of the associated cylinders, such passages serving as both the air inlet and the exhaust outlet for the combustion chamber which is between the cylinder domes and the pistons 16. In order to control the passages 15, there is provided with each a valve 1'7 which is normally closed by a plurality of springs 18 and opened by conventional engine actuated mechanism including a push rod 19 which extends into the crank case.

A diaphragm, or internal wall 20 is secured within the crank case and is formed with a central opening in which is arranged a bearing 21 for supporting one end of the crank shaft 22, the crankshaft projecting axially through the crank case. Arranged in a relation substantially parallel to the diaphragm is a detachable rear wall 23 which closes the open end of the crank case, and detachably secured to the rear wall is a starting device, indicated generally at 24, which is preferably of the inertia type as illustrated in Patent No. 1,739,469, issued December 10, .1929, to R. P. Lansing. Such starting device is arranged with a manually reciprocable jaw 25 projecting into the crankcase in alignment with the rear end of the crank shaft, so that it can be moved into a driving relation.

The engine illustrated is of the compressionignition, or Diesel type, which operates on a four stroke cycle, air charges being drawn into the cylinders through the passages 15 upon the suctaken on line H of tion strokes of the pistons, during which time the valves 17 are mechanically held open. The valves are next closed and the compression strokes then occur, and during the compression strokes, charges of liquid fuel oil are injected at a high pressure and in an atomized condition into the air charges being compressed, such that the mixture thereof with the compressed air will form a charge of a character producing quick combustion. There is associated with each cylinder a fuel injection device which consists generally of a nozzle portion 26 and a pump portion 2'7, the nozzle portion being secured rigidly to the cylinder and arranged to project through the wall thereof so that the fuel charges can be injected directly into the interior of the cylinder.

Each nozzle consists of a barrel 28 having a detachable end 29 extending through the associated cylinder wall and formed with a conicaloutlet opening in which the valve head 30 is arranged. The valve stem 31 is arranged to be moved into engagement with the stop member 32 by a spring33 and such stop member is adjusted to prevent the valve from entirely seating. The barrel 28 is formed with a downwardly extending neck portion which is providedrwith a passage 34 leading to the hollow chamber in the barrel through which the valve rod extends. Such nozzle neck is screwed into the casing 35 of the associated pump unit and bears against a spacer 36 which maintains the pump barrel 37 in position within the casing 35, there being a pair of spring-pressed valves 38 associated with the spacer member and the barrel to prevent liquid fuel or air returning to the pump structure from the nozzle structure. A plunger 39 is arranged to reciprocate within the pump barrel and a fuel inlet manifold 40 communicates with all of the pumps, there being a union 41 in the manifold structure associated with each of the barrels, and ports 42 extend through the casing and the barrel to establish communication between the fuel feeding manifold and the interior of the valve. Such ports are controlled by the position of the plunger so that when a plunger uncovers the ports 42, liquid fuel is moved into the pump barrel and nozzle completely filling the chambered portion therein. The pump plungers are moved in their injection strokes by mechanism, which will be hereinafter described, and during such movement they close the ports 42, their stroke after closing such ports determining the quantity of fuel which is displaced from the nozzle into the cylinders.

It will be seen that the speed of the plunger movement determines the degree of pressure at which the fuel charge is injected. The effective stroke of the plungers will force fuel past the valves 31 and from the nozzles in a manner such that the fuel charges are directed into the cylinders in a conical spray. The air inlet passages are formed and arranged so that they cause rotation of the air in the cylinders and such rotation continues during the following compression stroke of the piston, the fuel charges being sprayed into such compressed rotating air charges.

The degree of fuel atomization and the extent of the pressure at which it is injected determines the degree of the intermingling of the oil with the air and, therefore, it is necessary that there be sufficient atomized fuel penetration of the air to cause a uniform distribution if efficient engine operation is to result. It is also necessary that the atomization and penetration of the -,air by the fuel oil be of a certain character if combustion is to be attained when the cylinders are cold, as they are when starting. With the type of injection mechanism described, in which the fuel pressure varies in accordance with the crank shaft speed, there is difiiculty experienced when turning the crank shaft at a slow speed in starting to produce a suiiicient pressure behind the fuel charges, because of the consequent slow movement of the fuel pumps, which is not sufficient to cause the atomization and penetration of the compressed air charges to produce a mixture which will support combustion.

This invention has to do particularly with mechanism for injecting fuel oil in an atomized condition and at a suificient pressure to cause an intermingling with the compressed air in the cylinders such that ignition will readily result from compression when the crank shaft is being slowly turned through the application of a starting device. To this end, I utilize the regular fuel injecting mechanism for the normal running operation of the engine and provide an auxiliary actuating mechanism therefor which is effective only during the application of the starting mechanism to the crankshaft. This auxiliary actuating mechanism is made effective automatically and is placed automatically in ineffective relation when the starting device is released from the crank shaft. In carrying out such invention, I- propose that the liquid fuel charges will be injected during the turning of the crank shaft by the starting device at a pressure which will cause the fuel to penetrate substantially to the center of the cylinder and in a finely atomized condition so that one rotation of the compressed air in the cylinder will cause a uniform distribution therein of the atomized liquid fuel.

Under normal running operation, crank shaft actuated mechanism is provided for causing the pump plungers to move in their injection "strokes, and such mechanism is returned to a position causing uncovering of the ports 42 by the coil spring 43. A fuel plunger push rod 44 extends through the crank case and has associated therewith a rod 45 which is pivotally connected with a link 46 carried between a regulating ring 47 ro-w tatably mounted within the crank case. The ring 47 can be actuated through the association of a tooth segment 48 with a rack 49 which is fixed to the ring, the segment being rotated by means of the shaft 50 which is in turn actuated through suitable mechanism connected with the lever 51. Associated with each of the levers 45 is a slipper or rock lever, as shown at 52, 53 and 54, each being carried by a shaft 55 supported by the diaphragm and the rear casing cover 23. The free ends of the rock levers are formed with a longitudinally curved groove in which the associated rod 45 is adjustably positioned by means of the ring 47 and the connecting links 46, so that upon movement of the levers 45, lengthwise of the slippers, the effective injection stroke of the pump plungers can be simultaneously varied.

.Arranged interiorly of the pivoted slippers 53, for actuating the same to cause an injection stroke of the pump plungers, is a cam 56 which is provided with four lobes 57, 58, 59 and 60; A cam 60' is formed with an internal ring gear 61 with which the gear 62 meshes, and this gear is mountedv integrally on the same shaft with the gear 63 which is arranged adjacent the end wall of the casing. Meshing with the gear 63 is a gear 64 which is formed on the end of a sleeve 65. This arrangement of gearing, just described, is

related so that rotation of. the crank shaft will cause rotation of the cam 56 in a direction opposite to that of the crank shaft and at one-eighth the speed of rotation thereof. The rotation of the cam 56 is such thatupon each two revolutions of the crank shaft, the lobes 57, 58, 59 and 60 will cause one actuation of each of the nine slippers associated with the fuel injection mechanisms. The cam 60 is also provided with a series of four lobes 72, one of which is shown in Fig. 1, for actuating slippers 73, mounted on the shafts 55, with which the valve push rods 19 are associated so that during the suction and exhaust strokes of the pistons, the valves are held open thereby.

As before stated, I have found that with the fuel injection mechanism described, sufiicient penetration of the compressed air charges in the cylinders and a desirable atomization of the fuel is attained during engine running operation under load to result in combustion by compression, but when the crank shaft is being turned slowly by an auxiliary source of power, such as a starting device, the rotation is so slow that the resulting action of the fuel mechanism will not cause sufficient pressure to be exertedupon the fuel to cause the required penetration of the air charges and sufficient atomization to support combustion. In order to secure this necessary fuel pressure and atomization, and to inject the fuel at a time during the air compression when the best efficiency will result, I provide an auxiliary mechanism for actuating the slippers associated with each of the injection devices, and to this end I provide each of the fuel mechanism slippers with an extended portion '74 so that they can be actuated by a single lobe cam '75 which is arranged to be driven with and at crank shaft speed. This cam, running at crank shaft speed, will move eight times faster than the regular fuel actuating cam 56 and, consequently, will cause a much faster stroke of the pump plungers than would be caused by the cam 54, thus resulting in a highly increased pressure and an atomization beyond that which would be attained with the cam 56 in effective position when the crank shaft is turning at slow speeds. In addition, the cam '75 is arranged to cause an injection stroke of the plungers at a later time in the air compression stroke than that which is caused by the cam 56. The cam is preferably arranged to cause fuel injections just shortly before the pistons reach the top of their compression strokes, while the cam 56 is preferably arranged during engine operation so that the fuel injections ocour in a range between forty to twenty degrees before the pistons reach top center in the compression stroke. I have found that when starting, this delay in timing and the provision of pressure behind the fuel charge to cause a substantial penetration of the compressed air charges in a well atomized condition, materially assists in the quick starting of engines of the compression-ignition type operating on liquid fuel of low volatility, and as a result, very little turning of the crank shaft is required to cause combustion by compression.

In this instance the association of the starter jaw into driving relation with the crank shaft automatically actuates mechanism to cause the cam 75 to become eifective'and to make thecam 56 ineffective, and preferably the first rotational movement of the starter after being associated with the starter jaw shifts the mechanism causing such a change of the cams whereupon driving the crank shaft then proceeds; The rear end of the crank shaft and the rear cheek are provided with an axially extending bore which is closed at one end by a screw plug 76 to'limit the axial movement of a rotatable helically splined shaft '77 extending through the bore. At the rear endof the helically splined shaft is fixed a jaw member 78 with which the starter jaw '25 is adapted to be associated to rotate theshaft. The sleeve 65, carrying the gear 64, extends within the bore in the shaft end and is provided with an interior helical spline with which the spline on the shaft 7'7 meshes and the exteriorof this sleeve 65 is axially splined to the interior wall of the hollow crank shaft end, such splined relation permitting axial movement of the sleeve. The cam 75 is provided with a rearwardly extending hub portion which is keyed upon the rear end of the crank shaft, and the hub 79 of the-cam 56 telescopes the extended hub of the carn '75 and is rotatably mounted thereon. The hub 80 of the cam 60 telescopes the hub' '79 of the cam 56 and is arranged in spaced relation therefrom. A driving ring 81 extends intermediate the hub '79 and 80 and is provided on its inner face with helical splines 82 which mesh with similar splines 83 on the periphery of the hub 79, and the ring also is provided with helical splines 84 which mesh with similar splines 85 formed on the inner wall of the hub 80. A coil spring 86 is held under compression intermediate the cam 60 and a flange 87 formed at the rear endof the ring 81, there being a housing 88 secured to the cam 56 by screws 89 with which the flange 8'7 engages'to limit the rearward movement thereof. The cam 60 is provided with arcuate slots to permit rotation of the screws 89, which extend therethrough, when the cam 56 is rotating relative to the cam 60'.

As before stated, the cam 75 is fixed to the crank shaft so that it rotates therewith, and such I cam is arranged angularly'u'p'on the crank shaft so that the lobe will rock the slippers to cause iii-- jection strokes approximately tendegrees before the pistons reach the top of their air'ccmpression stroke. The cam 56 is driven from the crank 20 shaft through means of the worm shaft 77, the sleeve 65 which carries the gear 64 upon the end thereof, the gears 63 and 62, the cam 60, the spring 86 and the driving sleeve 81, so that it will be rotated in a reverse direction from that of the rotation of the crank shaft and the cam 75 and at one-eighth the speed thereof. The spring 86 normally maintains the cam 56 in an angular position-relative to the crank shaft such that the lobes 57, 58,. 59 and 60 will engage the slippers and cause effective injection movement of the fuel pumps in a range extending between forty and twenty degrees before the pistons reach the top of their air compression strokes, the exact timing of the commencement of the fuel injection being determined by the adjustment of the ring 47. When the cam 56 is in such position, it will be effective to cause actuation of the fuel injection mechanisms, and the lobes of such cam are of sufficient length so that they will maintainthe slippers in raised position long enough after being actuated to permit the lobe of the cam 75 to pass thereunder in an ineffective manner. For the normal operation of the engine, the pressure developed behind the fuel charges by the fuel pumps by the cam 56 will be sufficient to insure a penetration of the compressed air charges by the fuel charges to result in a quickly forming homogenous mixture whichwill be ignited by the compression' in'the combustion chambers.

When the engine is being turned over'for starting, the rotation of the crank shaft is slow and the rotation of the. cam 56 is only one-eighth as fast. This speed of cam rotation will not impart suflicient speed of movement to the fuel plunger to develop suflicient pressure behind. the fuel charges to cause them to properly atomize or penetrate the compressed aircharges so that a mixture will be formed which will be ignited through compression. With the driving mechanism for the cam 56, described above, application of the starter 24 will move the cam, angularly relative to the crank shaft, into a position such that the lobes thereon would engage the slippers at a time when the pistons have reached the top' of their compression strokes, and under such circumstances the cam 75 is, therefore, made effective and will maintain the slippers in an elevated position when the lobes of the cam 56 pass thereunder, and under such circumstances the pressuredeveloped will be several times greater and the actuation of the pumps will be effected shortly before the end of the compression strokewhich is a later time than caused by the cam 56 norj mally. When it is desired to start the engine, the

inertia starter is first energized and then the jaw 25 is moved into and held in engagement with the clutch member '78 which will cause a rotation of the helically splined shaft 'l'l in a clockwise direction looking from the rear and will thereby move the sleeve 65 forwardly through means of the helicallysplined connection. The forwarded movement of the sleeve will cause a similar move-. ment of the driving ring 81 and as the gears 61, 62, 63 and 64 will prevent rotation of the cam 60', the helical splines will cause rotation of the driving ring 81 in its forward movement, thereby imparting rotation to the hub '79 and its cam 56 so that the cam 56 is moved angularly upon the crank shaft until the ring 81 abuts thereagainst or until the sleeve 65 abuts against the front end of its enlarged bore as the case may be. When the driving ring 81 has been moved to its most forward position; through rotation of the jaw 25,

; it will then be in a locked relation so that further rotation of the jaw 25 will causethe uniform rotation of the cams 60' and 56, and this angular change in the position of the cam 56 will have moved the lobes thereof into a position such that they will pass under the slippers actuating the fuel pump mechanisms after the lobe on the cam '75 has caused an injection stroke and holds the slippers in raised position. Only three or'four rotations of the crank shaft is requiredtocause self-ignition due to the atomization, penetration and delayed timing of the injections caused by. the functioning of the cam 75, and when the engine becomes self-igniting the crank shaft speed of rotation will result in overrunning of the jaw 25, whereupon the spring 86 will move the cam 56 back into effective position, asshown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 2, the two cams are shown in a relation where the cam '75 is in effective position, that is, the cam 56 has been moved angularly upon the crank shaft so that the lobes thereon passunder the slippers approximately at the top of the air compression strokes. In this view, howeventhe cam '75 has made one more revolution and the cam 56 has made one-eighth of a revolution more than as shown in Fig. 1.

With the fuel injection mechanismdescribed the association of the starter with the crank shaft will bring into effect actuating mechanism of a character such that the fuel charges will penetrate the compressed aircharges'sufiiciently to result in a quickly formed homogenous mixture and at a time when the greatest efliciency will result, so that in this manner starting of engines of the character described is practically assured above certain low temperatures with a very few turns of the crank shaft. Under low temperature conditions the air charges can be heated in various ways so that with the type of fuel injection mechanism described herein, starting of the engine will be simple even under such conditions.

While I haveiherein described in some detail a specific embodiment of my invention, which I deem to be new and advantageous andmay specifically claim, I do not desire it to be understood that my invention is limited to the exact details of the construction, as it will be apparent that changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In' an internal combustion engine of the compression-ignition type in which fuel and air charges are introduced separately into the combustion spaces, a device for injecting atomized liquid fuel charges under pressure into a combustion space, a crank shaft, a cam rotatably associated with the crank shaft for actuating the fuel injection device, a rod rotatably mounted onthe crank shaft and mechanism for driving the cam at a reduced speed from the crank shaft including an axially movable sleeve,said rod and sleeve having meshing helical splines.

2. In an internal combustion engine of the compressiomignition type in which fuel and air charges are introduced separately into the combustion spaces, a device for injecting atomized liquid fuel charges under pressure into a combustion space, a crank shaft, a cam rotatably associated with the crank shaft, actuating mechanism intermediate the fuel injection device and the cam, a rotatable rod carried by the crank shaft and provided with a helical spline, a sleeve having a helical spline meshing with the spline on the rod and an axial spline engaging the crank shaft to prevent rotation of the sleeve, and mechanism associated with said sleeve for driving the cam at a reduced speed fromthe crank shaft.

3. In an internal combustion engine of the compression-ignition type in which fuel and air charges are introduced separately into thecome bustion spaces, a device for injecting atomized liquid fuel under pressure into a combustion space, a helically splined cam for actuating said fuel injection device, and mechanism for driving the cam including an axially movable sleeve having internal and external helical splines, the internal splines meshing with the splines on the cam.

4. In an internal combustion engine of a compression-ignition type in which fuel and air charges are introduced separately into the com bustion spaces of the engine, a device for injecting atomized liquid fuel under pressure into a combustion space, a crank shaft, a cam rotatably associated with the crank shaft, said crank shaft having axially extending grooves interiorly thereof, a rod rotatably mounted within the crank shaft, said rod having an external helical spline, a sleeve extending within the, crank shaft and splined to engage the axiallyextending grooves in the y tion of the cam relative to the crank shaft, a starting jaw keyed to the rod, and a cranking device for engaging the starting jaw and rotating the same, the first rotation of the starting jaw causing axial movement of the sleeve and a consequent axial movement of the driving means to rotate the cam prior to rotation of the crank shaft.

5. In an internal combustion engine of a compression-ignition type in which fuel and air charges are introduced separately into the combustion spaces of the engine, a device forinjecting atomized liquid fuel under pressure into a combustion space, a crank shaft, a cam rotatably associated with the crank shaft, said crank shaft having axially extending grooves interiorly thereof, a rod rotatably mounted within the crank shaft, said rod having an external helical spline, a sleeve extending within the crank shaft and splined to engage the axially extending grooves in the crank shaft, said sleeve having an internal helical spline meshing with the helical spline on the rotatable rod, driving means intermediate the cam and the sleeve adapted to be adjusted through axial movement for changing the angular relation of the cam relative to the crank shaft, a starting jaw keyed to the rod, a starting device for engaging the starting jaw and rotating the same, the first rotation of the starting jaw by the starter device causing axial inward movement of the sleeve and a consequent movement of the driving means to rotate the cam prior to rotation of the crank shaft, and spring means for normally maintaining the sleeve in an extended position.

6. In an internal combustion engine of the compression-ignition type in which fuel and air charges are introduced separately into the combustion spaces, a crank shaft, a cam rotatably associated with the crank shaft, devices for injecting atomized liquid fuel charges under pressure into the combustion spaces, said devices being actuated in their effective injection movement by said earn, a rotatable rod carried by the crank shaft and fixed axially thereof, a starting jaw keyed to the rod, a sleeve helically splined to the rod and axially splined to the crank shaft, reduction driving mechanism connecting the sleeve with the cam including a ring helically splined to the cam, said ring being movable axially with the sleeve to change the position of the cam angularly relative to the crank shaft upon initial cranking of the starting jaw.

7. In an internal combustion engine of the compression-ignition type in which fuel and air charges are introduced separately into the combustion spaces, devices for injecting atomized liquid fuel under pressure into the combustion spaces, a crank shaft, a cam fixed to the crank shaft for actuating the fuel devices, a helically splined cam rotatably associated with the crank shaft for actuating the fuel injection devices, the leading cam shielding the fuel injection devices froin actuation by the other cam, and reduction mechanism for driving the rotatably associated cam from the crank shaft including an axially movable ring having internal and external helical splines, the internal splines meshing with the splines on the earn, a starting device for cranking the engine, and means actuated by the initial rotation of the starting device causing axial movement of the ring and moving the helically splined cam into a following position relative to the other cam prior to rotation of the crank shaft.

8. In an internal combustion engine of the compression-ignition type in which fuel and air charges are introduced separately into the combustion spaces, a device for injecting atomized liquid fuel under pressure into combustion spaces, a crank shaft having a hollow end, a cam rotatably associated with the hollow end of the crank shaft for actuating the fuel injection devices, and reduction driving means for said cam including anaxially movable sleeve extending into the hollow end of the crank shaft and splined thereto.

9. In a compression-ignition engine, a pressure injection device for introducing liquid fuel into compressed air charges in the engine, a crank shaft, cam for actuating the injection device, an air valve actuating cam, means for driving the air valve cam at a reduced speed from the crank shaft, and a driving connection between the two cams including an axially movable sleeve.

10. In a compression-ignition engine, a pressure injection device for introducing liquid fuel into compressed air charges in the engine, a crank shaft, a cam for actuating the injection device, an air valve actuating-cam, reduction gearing directly connecting the air valve actuating cam with the crank shaft, and driving mechanism including an axially movable helically splined sleeve connecting the air valve actuating cam with the cam for actuating the injection device.

11. In a compression-ignition engine, a pressure injection device for introducing liquid fuel into compressed air charges in the engine, a crank shaft,-a cam for actuating the injection device, an air valve actuating cam, reduction gearing intermediate the crank shaft and the air valve actuating cam, and a driving connection including a ring having a helical spline in association with the air valve actuating cam, said driving ring being movable axially to change the relation of the cam for actuating the fuel injection device angularly of the crank shaft.

12. In a compression-ignition engine, a pressure injection device for introducingatomized liquid fuel into compressed air charges in the engine, a crank shaft, a single lobe cam for actuating the device and fixed to the crank shaft,

a multiple lobe cam for actuating the device and rotatably associated with the crank shaft adjacent the fixed cam, an air valve actuating cam; reduction gearing between the crank shaft and the air valve actuating cam, and a driving connection between the air valve actuating cam and the multiple lobe cam including a helically splined ring movable axially, the axial movement of the ring causing the multiple lobe cam to be rotated to place the lobes in effective or ineffective position in advance of or behind the fixed cam lobe.

'13. In a compression-ignition engine, a pressure injection device for introducing atomized liquid fuel into compressed air charges in an engine, a cam for actuating the fuel injection device, an air valve actuating cam, mechanism driving the air valve actuating cam from a moving part of the'engine, an axially movable ring intermediate the air valve cam and the fuel injection cam, said ring being helically splined with the cams, and means for shifting the ring axially upon application or removal of a starter, said injection cam being rotated relative to the air cam upon axial shifting of the ring.

14. In a multi-cylinder combustion engine of the compression-ignition type, a pressure injection device associated with each cylinder for introducing atomized liquid fuel into compressed air charges in the cylinders, a crank shaft, a cam fixed to the crank shaft to actuate the devices substantially at the highest air charge pressure, a slower driven cam for actuating the injection devices at a time in advance of the fast cam injection, only one of the cams being effective at a time and the effective cam masking the ineffective cam, an axially movable sleeve'for controlling the relation of the cams, a cranking device adapted to cause the sleeve to move into one axial position making the fast cam effective during cranking of the engine and driving the same, and a spring for moving the sleeve into a position making the slower cam effective when the starter device is released.

15. In an internal combustion engine of the compression-ignition type in which liquid fuel and air charges are introduced separately into the combustion spaces, devices for injecting atomized liquid fuel under pressure into the combusition spaces, a crank shaft, a cam fixed to the crank shaft for actuating the fuel injection devices, a cam rotably associated with the crank shaft for actuating the fuel injection devices and provided with a helical spline, an axially movable ring having internal and external helical splines, the internal spline of the ring meshing with the helical spline of the rotatable cam, only one of said cams being effective at a time and the lobe means of the effective cam being in advance and shielding the fuel injection devices from actuation by the lobe means of the ineffective cam, mechanism associated with the axially movable ring for driving the rotable cam at a reduced speed relative to the rotation of the crank shaft, said mechanism including an axially movable gear member splined to the crank shaft, and means including a starter device adapted to be associated with said gear member for cranking the engine, the initial rotation of said means when applied to the mechanism moving the gear member and the ring axially and rotating the associated rotable cam angularly relative to the crank shaft into an ineffective position prior to crank shaft rotation.

16. In a nine-cylinder radial internal combustion engine of the compression-ignition type in which fuel and air charges are introduced separately into the cylinders and mixed therein, an axially extending crank shaft, a single lobe cam fixed to the crankshaft, pressure fuel injection devices including a plunger associated with the cylinders and adapted to be actuated by the rota tion of said cam, a four-lobe cam rotatably associated with the crank shaft and arranged to actuate the fuel injection devices during rotation, said cams being arranged angularly so that the leading cam shields the mechanism from the other cam and the four-lobe cam being normally in advance of the single lobe cam, an axially movable ring helically splined to the rotatable cam, mechanism including an axially movable gear engaging one end of the ring and causing rotation of said axially movable ring at one-eighth the crank shaft speed, said mechanism being associated with the crank shaft, and means including astarter device and a member helically splined to the axially movable gear for cranking the crank shaft through the mechanism, the initial rotation of the starter device when applied causing an axial movement of the axially movable gear and ring prior to rotation of the crank shaft-thereby rotating the four-lobe cam into a retardedposition relative to the other cam. V

17. In an internal combustion engine of the compression-ignition type in which fuel and air charges are-introduced separately into the combustion spaces, a crank shaft, a device for injecting atomized liquid fuel under pressure into a combustion space, a helically splined cam for actuating said fuel injection device, a helically splined valve actuating cam, an internally and externally helically splined ring having a flange on one end, said ring being axially movable a limited extent and having its internal spline meshing'with the helical spline of the cam, and its external helical spline meshing with the splined valve cam, a coil spring engaging with the ring flange for normally retaining it in one extreme axial position, a crank shaft driven reduction gearing for rotating the valve actuating cam including an axially movable gear member engaging the flange of the ring, a member carried by the crank shaft on which the gear member is helically splined, and a starter device adapted to be applied to rotate said helically splined gear member for cranking the engine, the initial rotation of said splined gear member by said starter moving the same and the ring axially and changing the position of the cam for actuating the fuel device angularly relative to the crank shaft.

18. In an internal combustion engine of the compression-ignition type in which liquid fuel I and air charges are introduced separately into the combustion spaces, a device for injecting atomized liquid fuel under pressure into a combustion space, a crank shaft, a helically splined cam arranged to actuate said fuel injection device, a helically splined valve actuating cam, an axially movable flanged ring formed with internal and external helical splines, the internal splined portion of the ring meshing with the helical spline of the'fuel device cam and the external splined portion meshing with the helical spline of the valve actuating cam, resilient means bearing against the flange of said ring for urging the ring into one extreme axial position, mechanism for rotating said valve actuating cam at a reduced speed from the crank shaft, said mechanism including a gear member axially splined to the crank shaft and movable axially a limited extent, rotatable means carried by the crank shaft helically splined to the gear member, and a starting device adapted to be associated with said rotatable means for cranking the engine when the gear reaches one end of its axial movement, the initial rotation of the means when the starter device is applied moving said gear and said ring axially against the pressure of the resilient means and causing a change in the angular position of the fuel device actuating cam relative to the crank shaft which is maintained during the cranking operation.

19. In an internal combustion engine of the compression-ignition type in which fuel and air charges are introduced separately into the combustion spaces, devices for injecting atomized liquid fuel under pressure into the combustion spaces, a crank shaft, an air valve actuating cam rotatably associated with the crank shaft having a flanged hub portion provided with helical termediate the gear and the air valve cam, means helically splined to the sleeve and rotatably carried by the crank shaft, and a starting device adapted to engage said means helically splined to the sleeve, the initial rotation of the starter when engaging said means causing axial movement of the sleeve and the ring and then rotation of the crank shaft when the sleeve has reached the end of its axial movement, the axial movement of the ring rotating the cam to change its position angularly of the crank shaft.

20. In an internal combustion engine of the compression-ignition type in which liquid fuel and air charges are introduced separately into the combustion spaces, a device for injecting atomized liquid fuel under pressure into a combustion space, a crank shaft, a helically splined cam arranged to actuate said fuel injection device, a helically splined valve actuating cam, an

axially movable flanged ring formed with internal and external helical splines, the internal splined portion of the ring meshing with the helical spline of the cam and the external splined portion of the ring meshing with the valve actuating cam, a coil spring bearing against the flange of said ring for urging the ring into one extreme axial position, mechanism for rotating said valve actuating cam at a reduced speed from the crank shaft, said mechanism including a gear member axially splined to the crank shaft and movable axially a limited extent, rotatable means helically splined to the gear, and a starting device adapted to be associated with said means for turning the crank shaft when the gear member reaches one end of its axial movement, the initial rotation of the means when the starter device is applied moving said gear member and said ring axially against the pressure of the spring and causing a change in the angular position of the cam relative to the crank shaft which is maintained during the turning of the crank shaft by the starting device.

21. In a radial cylinder compression-ignition engine, a pressure injection device associated with each cylinder for introducing atomized liquid fuel into compressed air charges therein, a crank shaft, a single lobe cam fixed to the crank shaft for actuating the devices, a multiple lobe cam for actuating the devices and rotatably associated with the crank shaft, an air valve actuating cam, reduction gearing between the crank shaft and the air valve actuating cam, and a shiftable driving connection between the multiple lobe cam and the air valve actuating cam, said driving connection being shiftable into two extreme positions to place the multiple cam lobes in effective or ineffective relation with the injection devices by timing them in advance of or following the other cam.

22. In an internal combustion engine of the compression-ignition type, a pressure device including a plunger for injecting charges of liquid fuel into compressed air charges in a combustion space, a cam for causing eifective injection strokes of the plunger, a crank shaft, a rotatable starting jaw fixed axially relative to the crank shaft, a sleeve axially splined to the crank shaft, a driving connection between the jaw and the sleeve, and reduction gearing intermediate the sleeve and the cam.

23. In a compression-ignition engine, a pressure injection device for introducing atomized liquid fuel into compressed air charges in the cylinders, a pair of cams effective one at a time for actuating the fuel injection device, and mechanism for driving one of the cams at a reduced speed from a moving part of the engine, said mechanism including a valve actuating cam and an axially movable manually adjustable sleeve helically splined to the air valve cam, the axial adjustment of the sleeve shifting the cam driven by the mechanism angularly relative to the other of the pair of cams and thereby placing the lobes thereof in slightly advanced or retarded position relative to the lobes of the other of the pair of cams.

HERBERT C. EDWARDS. 

